Training Magazine Europe Q3 2015 | Page 12

Top 25 Trends Shaping the World of Work

WorldTalk

Randstad Sourceright, a global talent leader, has released “The Randstad Sourceright 2015 Talent Trends Report,” an overview of the top 25 workplace trends that will shape talent management in 2015 and beyond.

A number of challenges have come to the forefront in 2015, including macroeconomic issues impacting business growth, skilled talent becoming increasingly scarce and business leaders recognizing the need for HR to take on a more strategic role. In the midst of these obstacles, HR professionals must affirm their ability to deliver essential knowledge and services to keep their organizations ahead of the competition. But to achieve this goal, HR must understand the trends and most pressing issues facing workers and employers alike and how they can be addressed successfully.

The report reveals that more HR leaders are putting greater priority on strategic, business-focused initiatives for 2015, such as the need to move beyond purely administrative tasks to provide the insight and support that shape a high-performing business strategy. In addition, as business leaders continue to demand more from HR, the function must invest in new skills and sharpen existing ones. The right talent management technology is key to achieving this, by way of delivering crucial talent analytics to assist workforce planning, optimize recruitment costs and improve quality of hire and productivity.

The report reveals key findings in how HR teams are responding:

• More than a quarter (26 percent) of HR leaders plan to invest in their global employer value proposition within the next 12-24 months, and 35 percent expect to upskill their in-house recruitment teams on employer branding initiatives.

• The most needed skills for HR today include building cohesive teams, leveraging data and analytics, managing compliance and embracing new technology.

• The majority of HR leaders recognize the need to incorporate analytics and predictive workforce intelligence; 56 percent indicate they use talent analytics and insights to inform their workforce planning process.


Retailers Reap the Rewards of Technology-Enabled Learning Strategies

Independent research by Towards Maturity launched at the Learning Technologies Summer Forum reveals that retailers are improving revenue, productivity and behavioural change amongst employees as a result of adopting technology-enabled learning, but there is still more opportunity to be had.

Retailers report that learning technologies have had a significant impact on business outcomes. Compared with traditional training methods, they report a 34% improvement in their ability to change procedures or products, a 44% improvement in their ability to roll out new IT applications and a 26% improvement in customer satisfaction, which they attribute to the use of learning technologies.

Their approach to learning is 25% more likely than average to reduce time away from the job and improve external customer satisfaction.

The study of 32 organisations shows that retail L&D staff have a greater knowledge about the potential use and implementation of technology compared to other sectors. They are also offering their employees a wider range of skills. Innovation in learning is a driving force in the sector, with 84% of the organisations surveyed now using mobile learning to help mitigate challenges with IT infrastructure and PC access, which is improving productivity, knowledge sharing and employee satisfaction.


12 | TRAINING MAGAZINE EUROPE Q3 2015